You should bring your CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccination card(s) to your booster dose appointment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all eligible people get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A person’s immune protection from the vaccine tends to weaken over time, and a booster dose can help train the immune system to continue recognizing the virus to protect the body against it.
Similar to the way a booster dose of the tetanus and diphtheria vaccine is recommended every 10 years, a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can provide greater protection against severe illness from the disease.
On March 29, 2022, the FDA authorized a second booster dose for people age 50 and older as well as for some people who are immunocompromised. Just like an initial booster dose, a second booster dose teaches the body to continue to protect against COVID-19.
Mini Kamboj, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Chief Medical Epidemiologist, has answers to your questions about who is eligible and how you can schedule an appointment.
This information is about COVID-19 booster shots for everyone age 12 and older. People who are 50 and older are eligible to receive a second booster dose.
You may also be eligible for a second booster dose if you are currently being treated for cancer or have recently been treated for cancer. The timing for your vaccine doses and total number of vaccine doses may be different. Learn about how many doses you should receive and when »
Who Is Eligible for Booster Doses
- Everyone age 12 to 49 is eligible to get 1 booster dose.
- Everyone age 50 and older is eligible for a second booster dose. That’s because your immune system tends to get weaker as you get older. A second booster dose helps to retrain your immune system to protect against COVID-19.
- People age 12 and older who are immunocompromised because of a medical condition (such as cancer) are also eligible for a second booster. Learn more about getting a booster dose if you have or have had cancer »
Should I Get a Second Booster?
If you meet the criteria for a second booster shot, you can get it. It is a personal choice. People over the age of 60 are likely to benefit the most from the second booster and should be strongly encouraged to get the shot. Boosters help prevent severe disease and hospitalization in this age group.
If you are eligible but were recently infected with Omicron, you may choose to wait a short while before getting your second booster. Please know that you can choose to get a second booster any time after you become eligible. It does not need to be exactly 4 months after your first booster.
Back to topWhat Brand of Booster Dose to Get
The CDC endorses the mix-and-match approach to booster doses for people age 18 years and older. You don’t have to get the same brand as you got for your primary vaccination or your first booster dose.
The CDC recommends that most people get the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty®) vaccine or Moderna (Spikevax™) vaccine for their booster shot(s). The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine can be used as a booster in some situations, after talking with your doctor.
Learn more about the safety of the J&J vaccine »
Back to topTiming: When You Should Get Your Booster Dose(s)
The schedule of when to get your booster dose(s) varies slightly, depending on your age and the brand of vaccine you initially received.
Pfizer-BioNTech as Your First Vaccine
Anyone age 5 and older can get the Pfizer vaccine. If you got the Pfizer vaccine as your first shot, you should follow this schedule:
1st dose
2nd dose — This must be a Pfizer shot.
- People age 5 through 11 should get this shot 3 weeks (21 days) after their first dose.
- People age 12 through 64 should get this shot 3 to 8 weeks after their first dose. Young men age 12 to 39 should wait the full 8 weeks to reduce their risk of a side effect called myocarditis. This heart problem is very rare overall but is more common in young men than other groups.
- People age 65 and older should get this shot 3 weeks (21 days) after their first dose.
3rd dose — This is called a “booster dose,” and it should be given at least 5 months after your 2nd dose.
- Children age 5 to 11 are not eligible for a booster dose.
- Children age 12 to 17 can only get a Pfizer shot.
- Anyone age 18 and older can get any brand of vaccine for this dose, but Pfizer or Moderna are strongly recommended.
4th dose — This is also a booster dose, and it should be given at least 4 months after your third dose (your first booster dose). This must be a Pfizer or Moderna shot.
- People age 50 and older are eligible for this dose.
- People who are immunocompromised are eligible for this dose.
If you have cancer now or have had cancer, you may need 1 more COVID-19 vaccine dose — meaning 5 total doses — than the general public. Read more here »
Moderna as Your First Vaccine
Anyone age 18 and older can get the Moderna vaccine. People who got the Moderna vaccine as their first shot should follow this schedule:
1st dose
2nd dose — This must be a Moderna shot.
- People age 18 through 64 should get this shot 4 to 8 weeks after their first dose. Young men age 12 to 39 should wait the full 8 weeks to reduce their risk of a side effect called myocarditis. This heart problem is very rare overall but is more common in young men than other groups.
- People age 65 and older should get this shot 4 weeks (28 days) after their first dose.
3rd dose — This is called a “booster dose,” and it should be given at least 5 months after your second dose. Pfizer or Moderna are strongly recommended for most people for this dose.
4th dose — This is also a booster dose, and it should be given at least 4 months after your third dose (your first booster dose). This must be a Pfizer or Moderna shot.
- People age 50 and older are eligible for this dose.
- People who are immunocompromised are eligible for this dose.
If you have cancer now or have had cancer, you may need 1 more COVID-19 vaccine dose — meaning 5 total doses — than the general public. Read more here »
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (J&J) as Your First Vaccine
Anyone age 18 and older can get the J&J vaccine. People who got the J&J vaccine as their first shot should follow this schedule:
1st dose
2nd dose — This is called a “booster dose,” and it should be given at least 2 months after your first dose. Pfizer or Moderna are strongly recommended for most people for this dose.
3rd dose — This is also a booster dose, and it should be given at least 4 months after your second dose (your first booster dose). This must be a Pfizer or Moderna shot.
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There are 3 groups who are eligible for this dose:
- People age 50 and older
- People who are immunocompromised
- People age 18 to 49 who received the J&J vaccine their first vaccine and the J&J vaccine as their booster dose
If you have cancer now or have had cancer, you may need 1 more COVID-19 vaccine dose — meaning 4 total doses — than the general public. Read more here »
Back to topBooster Dose Side Effects
The side effects from any COVID-19 vaccine booster dose are similar to those experienced after receiving the initial vaccine(s). You could experience soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, body aches, and fever. These symptoms don’t last long — about 1 to 3 days.
Back to topWhere to Get a Booster Shot
To check your eligibility and to schedule a booster vaccination at MSK, please use this link. If you have questions about the booster shot, please call your MSK doctor’s office.
Please bring your CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccination card(s) to your appointment. This is important for us to confirm the date and brand of your doses. We will update your vaccination card with your booster dose information.
However, our patients don’t need to wait to get a booster shot at MSK. We encourage them to look for a vaccination location with availability near you, using the following links:
April 14, 2022